Freeman, Mariner, and T'Pring waited outside the sickbay. Even T'Pring couldn't hide her concern.
Doctor T'Ana came out in a surgical gown. She did not look happy.
Freeman said, "Doctor?"
"T'Lyn will make it," T'Ana explained, "and I'm just about to reverse her augmentation. But that's not the problem. When Sumevini shot her, he beamed tissue samples out of her body. It caused internal bleeding, and I had to take care of it first. But she'll be ok."
T'Pring said, "He has the genetic information he needs."
Mariner stepped forward. "Doc…can I…"
T'Ana shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll let you know when she's recovered."
Jack's voice came from wall speakers. "Ransom to Freeman."
"Go ahead, Jack."
"Captain, we've got ship-to-ship back. Colonel T'Pring's ship is ready for her to come home."
"Colonel?" Freeman said. "I'll walk you to the transporter room."
8
8
"I am sorry you got caught up in this captain," T'Pring said as she got up on the transporter pad. "While Sumevini escaped with T'Lyn's DNA, the important thing is she and your daughter have been recovered alive."
"No argument," Freeman said, "but if I may be candid, Colonel, I love Vulcans. Some of my best friends are Vulcans. But y'all can be pains in the ass, especially with things you don't want to talk about."
"You are not the first starship captain to make that observation, Captain Freeman. I agree it can be vexing. All we can promise is to do the best we can." She gave Freeman the Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper."
Freeman returned the salute. "Have a good trip home." She lowered her arm. "Energize, Chief."
T'Pring vanished in a swirl of light.
8
8
T'Lyn knelt on a meditation rug in her darkened quarters with her eyes closed. Most of the light came from the meditation lamp at the other end of the rug. Her hair was still blonde, but in its normal style with a hair band. She wore sweatpants and a RITOS t-shirt. She had bandages on the outsides of her forearms.
The door chimed.
T'Lyn opened her eyes. "Computer, raise lights."
The lights came on.
She looked at the door. "Come in."
The door opened. It was Boimler and Mariner.
Boimler said, "Hey, T'Lyn. We heard you got you of sickbay."
"Doctor T'ana released me an hour ago," T'Lyn said. "Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable."
As Boimler and Mariner sat down on the floor, Mariner said, "Cut yourself shaving?"
"I asked Doctor T'Ana to surgically remove my bone blades," T'Lyn explained. "An emotional reaction, but I could not contain it. I did want not a reminder of my experience in my own body."
Boimler said, "I think the cause is more than sufficient."
"Indeed," T'Lyn said. "I owe you both an apology for my conduct. Especially you, Mariner. I have great respect for you and consider you a close friend. You did not deserve the things I said to you."
"Water under the bridge, T'Lyn," Mariner said. "It was all because of that goop Sumevini injected you with."
"Yeah," Boimler said, "you weren't yourself."
"That's not quite true," T'Lyn said. "In some ways, I was more myself than I have ever been. I see now why Vulcans do not speak of pon farr. When my emotional control lapsed, what was revealed was me. The real me. The me that I would have been if I had not spent my entire life cultivating logic and discipline.
"That is the truth every Vulcan lives with. The serene mask we show the universe is just that, a mask. A lie. We say we do not lie, but we should say we do not lie with words. We do not have to. We lie with our very being.
"Can either of you imagine that? An entire civilization deceiving itself and the entire universe? Until a quirk of our biology reveals our true selves for a few days every seven years? Anyone who could truly comprehend it would sure be driven mad. So, we cloak it in ritual and do not speak of it. Out of fear of the truth and fear of ourselves."
Mariner said, "T'Lyn, no matter what he did to you, not matter what he said, you held on and fought him. That's all I need to know."
Boimler nodded in agreement.
"You honor me, my friends." T'Lyn closed her eyes. When she opened them after a few moments, she seemed calmer. She said, "I expect Tendi will be along to invite me to the bar."
Mariner said, "Yeah, we were surprised she wasn't here already."
T'Lyn said, "Perhaps I should socialize. There will be time for contemplation later."
Mariner said, "That's the spirit!"
T'Lyn blew out the candle, and they got off the floor. When they got to the door, Tendi and Rutherford on the other side.
"T'Lyn!" Tendi clutched T'Lyn into a hug. "You're out of sickbay."
T'Lyn didn't return the hug but didn't fight it either. "I will be back on duty tomorrow," T'Lyn said, "but it is a comfort some things and people are acting as expected."
Tendi released T'Lyn. As the five lower deckers went down the corridor, T'Lyn said, "Mariner, can I ask you a personal question?"
"I'm definitely a top," Mariner said.
"I beg your pardon?" T'Lyn said.
"What do you want to know, T'Lyn?"
"Mariner, have you ever had an 'old flame' who turned out to be a 'whack job'?"
"Er, yeah, T'Lyn, and that's all I can say without my advocate present."
"Indeed. Illogical, emotional, chaotic, borderline insane and potentially criminal." T'Lyn's face made the very slight change in the direction of a smile. "Mariner, do not ever change. I prefer you just the way you are."
Mariner smiled. "Back at ya, pal."
THE END